Picking up the pieces afterwards (scraping up Squizzles in the process) the group spent several hours pouring through the spell-weaver’s archives, eventually finding a few pieces of data about the Arcanoth to add to their general pool of knowledge. After returning to Sharu’mosna to share the knowledge with Saldean, he offered the services of the local priesthood in returning Squizzles to life. The priest of Dionysus to whom they entrusted the mixed ashes of Squizzles and the rage demon assured them that he could separate them, though he himself looked uncertain.

Perhaps 20 minutes later he returned, seeming quite pleased with his efforts. Squizzles, himself, also seemed pleased, though his companions were more uncertain. Where they expected to see a kobold, this “new and improved” Squizzles seemed to have been incompletely separated from the demon’s remains, as he now sported a fine set of bat-like wings from his back, seemed generally very muscular in appearance, and his face and tail had developed a number of wicked looking spines.

After pledging to continue assisting one another, the group returned through the portal and then teleported to their castle. As described by their followers, there was indeed a 30’ diameter sphere of smoking metal hanging over their construction site. Elerra’s apprentice, Lseral, came out and explained that there was a mage that had taken up residence nearby who claimed that it was his efforts that kept the object above from completing it’s arc towards destruction.

The group found that the mage in question, who called himself Vincent, was awaiting them inside the structure. He offered to negate the demons protecting the Black Rook’s fortress overlooking the Riftcanyon, in exchange for a pair of items that the Black Rook’s kept there. The group asked for some time to discuss the matter, and sent Vincent back to his camp outside the walls.

Wilfred, Meroln, and Elerra then departed for Greyhawk, where Elerra went to check in with Kiamyr, Meroln sought out Jenny, and Wilfred sought out his own group to learn what developments they’d learned or made while he and the others were on the moon.

The Society had made several important advancements. First, they’d constructed a large, 8’ diameter illusionary globe depicting Liga’s surface, upon which a burgeoning network of ley lines could be seen taking shape. One nexus that they’d confirmed met the requirements for the Third Mark lay deep beneath the Azure Sea, in a region called Shasnarfal by the sahuagin who lived there. Another nexus, the largest one they’d located thus far was known as Tovag Baragu, located on the shores of Lake Udrukanar in the Plains of the Paynims.

The society had also constructed scale models of the two iron sky-ships that had rained destruction across the Flanaess and beyond. They also could display their courses on the globe, showing how one had specifically targeted mages and the second, larger ship had attacked cities and towns. In their “Dunno Files” they had a list of odd occurrences that seemed to trail the two vessels, including the substitution of clothing between two girls of differing social status in Nyrond, and the uprooting of an apple orchard in Furyondy.

Another “innovation” the society had come up with were a pair of golden hoops that could simulate a ley line between them, and a stubby silver board that would “float” in the energies of a ley line. One of the researchers demonstrated that the effect was strong enough to support the weight of someone riding on the board, though actual propulsion was still being worked on.

When the trio returned to their castle, the group met once again with Vincent to learn the specifics of what he was offering. Vincent explained that somewhere within the castle, there were a pair of fist-sized glowing gemstones set in platinum frames perhaps a foot in diameter. If the party agreed to bring him these items, he would unbind the demons that the Western Leering Keep had bound to it’s walls, setting the demons free to take their revenge against their binders, the priests of Mabelrode.

Before returning to his camp, Vincent, at the behest of the group, ensorcelled the projectile hanging over their heads, sending it back to the vessel from which it had been launched. Wanting a bit more information on the keep and it’s defenses, the group had Baht-Ole cast Communion with Boccob, and asked the following questions:

Has Jaliseem made a new clone?Yes

Is it present in the castle?No

Does she have any other demons than the ones in the walls?Yes

Can Vincent be trusted in this endeavor?Yes

Is this deal worth giving Vincent the gems?Uncertain

Are there any mortal forces other than the Black Rooks staying in the castle?Yes

Do they have information on our intentions?No

Is Tenser still alive?Uncertain

Does Tenser still have the Esoterica?Uncertain

Are the Granbretanians planning another attack in the next month?Yes

Afterwards, the group went to Narwell, where they met with Baron Aerogenesis and asked for access to Janos Tandovr. Once down in the dungeons, the group traded jibes with Janos for several minutes, before getting down to business. Janos offered to answer their questions in exchange for his release, if they (and the Baron) would be willing to agree to a set of terms enforced by Geas. As we ended for the evening, they were working out the details of what they would require of Janos, while he worked out the details he would ask in return….

As the battle progressed, Sam and Meroln acquired an impressive number of dangling ribbons protruding from their bodies, even as circumstances forced them to be healed repeatedly, sealing the barbed needles into their flesh for painful removal later. As the group pushed out of the first chamber, Elerra noticed a small, strange rift form in the passageway they’d exited, that proved to be immune to dispelling (though it served as a viewpoint through which the spell-weavers deeper in the complex could target them with spells).

One such spell proved to be a magical Ballista of Force that Elerra narrowly avoided being skewered with, as well as a Bouncing Delayed-Blast Disintegrate_ that claimed Squizzles’ life, and severely taxes the party’s dwindling healing reserves. Baht-Ole was targeted by a Lifefire Ray that continued to burn away at his body for round after round, preventing him from healing himself (though he could still heal others).

As the elementals and the cabaren fell, the group’s progress was eventually blocked by an Wall of ironwebs, beyond which could be seen an aeshma demon who carried a large runed greatsword. As it fought Sam and Mekkatorque, Elerra managed to Disintegrate it, resulting in it’s form’s dust being intermixed with that of Squizzles, who’d been standing where the demon stood when he died. In an effort to keep the rift from following them further, Wilfred used his magic chalk to erect of Wall of Force in the doorway between it and them, but it disbursed a Disintegration Sphere that began eating away at the Wall.

While several of the party waited for Elerra to Passwall the Ironwebs, Meroln was knocked unconscious by one of the spell-weavers attempting to use a Heart Clutch against him. Once the way into the final chamber was opened, the leader of the spell-weavers attempted to cast Adira, Wilfred and Mekkatorque into an Insanity Void but prudent spending of Hero Points and Mythic Points saw to it that everyone made their saves.

As hit points dwindled, the final trio of spell-weavers unleashed everything they had, multispelling Piercing Bolts with waves of Maximized Enhanced Magic Missiles, Balefires, and Fiery Bombardments, and even Mythic Fireballs & Mythic Magic Missiles from the leader of the spell-weavers. Eventually, however, despite Mekkatorque being nearly slain by sustained spell-craft twice in as many rounds, in the end the party was victorious and the spell-weavers lay dead at their feet.

Returning the following morning to discuss a joint mission to the Jenoine Node to recover the records Elerra’s vision indicated might be present there, Wilfred received a Sending from Kosha Mattuk, the head of his Society of Gnomergan. Kosha reported that earlier that morning, all the principal archmages of the Flanaess (Tenser, Mordenkainen, the other members of the Circle of Eight, even Rary) had all been systematically attacked by massive (300’ long) metal flying ships that had leveled their respective strongholds to rubble using “lightning bolts and beams of fire”. It was further reported that each of the vessels bore markings linking them to the Empire of Londra, known to be allies of the Arcanoth. It was also reported that a 30’ diameter metal sphere had taken up residence 200’ over the location of their nascent castle on Narwell’s southern border.

While saddened by the news of the attacks, and concerned that their stronghold might be under some form of attack, everyone agreed that storming the Node to recover the records was of paramount importance. Wilfred tried to contact Tenser directly, but received no response. Also of concern was the fate of the Esoterica… it had been left in Tenser’s keeping.

Their meeting with Saldean was delayed for a half hour, because it also turned out that their portal to Liga had come under an attack not unlike the one that befell the mages. Their skyship, the Redoubt, which had been flying over the tent-city they’d erected on the far side of the gate had been destroyed, and the merchants and guards there slaughtered or fled. As a result, Saldean regretted that he would have to cut the force he could send with them to the pole by 2/3rds, as he needed troops to reinforce the gate.

The party then spent the balance of the day coordinating with the Huchard and getting the lay of the lands they would be (re)visiting. The following morning they and their Huchard allies used the local equivalent to a Teleport Circle to arrive at the Waystation; a building on the outskirts of the Jenoine lands that had served as a point of contact. In the distance, the sounds of a pitched battle could be heard, gunfire and more chattering away in the pre-dawn light.

Opting to fly in, this strategy held until the group reached the end of the treeline, about 3 miles in. Under fire now from the pyramidal Node at the center of the conflict, the group was forced to make their way on foot, and soon encountered a force of clockwork soldiers bearing crests that their Huchard allies identified as belonging to the City-State of Erdaenos, one of the rebellious human territories that stood opposed to the continued presence of the Huchard now that the dragons had returned. Several of the party feared that they might have allied themselves with Londra, but no sign of the Union Jack could be found on the battlefield.

Blasting their way past the clockwork dragon, mage, and soldiers, the group and their shrinking Huchard defenders soon found their way into the Node itself, and in the process of fighting their way down into the bowels of the place finally lost the last of their giant allies. As we parted for the evening, the group had engaged the final defenses of the vault, defeating a lightning quasi-elemental but under fire from cabaren with more elementals pushing to engage them…

After a short bit of discussion, the group elected to take Keldeacon‘s corpse to the Temple of Boccob, knowing nothing of his beliefs or the practices of his people. The priests there attempted to raise him, but quickly discovered that his soul was bound somewhere in the Abyss, and unrecoverable. After indicating that they intended to bury the body, one of Keldeacon’s items, his legendary psychoactive skin, took off, having no desire to be entombed beneath the soil. Afterwards they sought an inn for a brief rest.

As dawn approached, they group (sans Meroln, who left to seek out Jenny) went to the space that Wilfred had rented from the Grey College for the Society of Gnomergan (the organization he’d recently founded to assist himself and the group). Uncertain of the Esoterica’s abilities, they first hedged it in with an inward-facing Circle of Protection from Evil (with a Dimensional Anchor for good measure), but when Baht-Ole tried to Consecrate the area, the tome went berserk, flailing it’s chain around the inside of the Circle, and grabbing Baht-Ole by the neck and physically hurling him across the room.

Elerra decided to enter the Circle (TWOENTER, ONLYONEMAYLEAVE! – sorry) and failed a Will save vs. the tome’s telepathic contact. “it burns” the Esoterica complained, “make it stop, daughter of Luzcidor…” Not having any clue what “Luzcidor” was supposed to mean, Squizzles chimed in that it was the name of the drow’s surface kingdom in the days before they were driven from the surface world. Once Elerra had used a Dispel Magic on the Consecrate, the Esoterica “introduced” itself as Sia Draja, Warden of the Book.

Wilfred, feeling that this was slightly out of their league, excused himself and used a Sending to contact Tenser for whatever help he might be able to lend. After several minutes, the Archmage arrived, with an athletically-built woman of Suel descent in tow, that he introduced as Adira. After being brought up to speed on the nature of the Esoterica and how they’d come into it’s possession, he walked the perimeter of the Circle for several minutes, casting the occasional spell at the tome. Eventually he stated that it was time everyone could see what they were dealing with, and after a brief incantation, the Esoterica sprang open and filled the area described by the Circle with black smoke that soon coalesced into the form of a young (8-10 years old) Suloise girl wearing a pretty red dress (though not one particularly appropriate to a girl of her age). Only Elerra and Squizzles caught that for just a moment, her childlike head and platinum-blonde locks were replaced by the black, flaming skull of a suel-lich.

Now that she was visible to everyone, she acknowledged each in her own way. Adira she referenced as “noble sister”, Wilfred was “child of the Astral”, Squizzles was merely “slave”, and Sam she called “bredthrall” (an ancient term delineating a life-form that had been created for a specific purpose). Tenser she acknowledged as “brother in the Arts, not so mortal as ye strive to appear”. After introductions, she once more gave her name as Sia Draja, Warden of the Book, and offered to assist the group with whatever their pleasure was.

While the group pauses to consider this offer, Tenser introduced Adira to the group, hinting that she may be of some use to them. As it turns out, she has some knowledge of Losien, who had been a member of her previous adventuring party (albeit he had left prior to her joining them). This results in a sharing of the names from the list they’d found at the site of the ritual they’d spoiled a few weeks past, from which Tenser further recognized Esmeralda as an arcanist known to have visited the city several times over the past two years, sometimes frequenting the Green Dragon Inn.

Sensing another link in the chain, Wilfred casts a Sending to recall Meroln from his tryst, only to send him off again to see if jenny remembers this Esmeralda character; she does, and identifies her as having been a friend of Grot’s, having met with him on several occasions to exchange information and occasionally small packages. based on her description, Sam realizes that she is likely the woman he attempted to tail from the bar back on the 25th of Goodmonth the previous year. Tenser eventually suggests that while all references to the titan behind the Wane may have successfully edited himself out of all the texts available here on Liga, a fresh source of very ancient records recently manifested itself in the skies above only a few days ago; maybe the group should investigate?

When asked about the next Mark, Sia is only too happy to spend the next several hours spewing arcanobabble that even Tenser has minor difficulty following, outlining the types of sites necessary, the “flavor” of the ley lines that must converge there, and detailing the astrological convergences that are necessary…. convergences that will come about in just over two months time. She further adds that with the failure of the Second Mark to achieve full power, the rituals for the third and final Mark will take longer, and must be completed over three days time, rather than merely one night (specifically, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of the coming Needfest).

When asked about the symbols Elerra had copied from the Arcanoth’s throne chamber, Sia recognizes only the symbol worn by the cloud giants she’d been serving previously, Clan Skath. Glancing over them, Tenser says that ships emblazoned with the eight pointed star of Chaos have been sighted plundering towns along the eastern coasts of the Great Kingdom, traced back to a new island that the inhabitants refer to as Pan Tang. Furthermore, he says that several new islands have appeared all over the world, one off the far western shore of the Solnor Ocean (which he identifies as Granbretan, the source of the Union Jack of Londra). In all, four new islands off the coasts of Oerik, and an additional four off the coasts of Kanos. He further adds that the Fairwind Isle, part of the Occupied Lands of the Sea Princes, was stripped of all it’s prior structures, populace, and vegetation, and replaced wholesale with new towns, strange people, and even stranger, semi-mobile red foliage. The odd creatures there claim to serve a being they call the Jack of Tears, the leader of the Carnival of Shadows.

Returning to their discussion about journeying to Celene, Tenser informs them that the site known to Adira’s former companions as ‘the Celestial Arch’ is no longer under the control of the Clergy of Celestian. Several days past, the metal doors that were bowed inwards by the assault of the Mabelrodians sprang open, and the giants on the far side of the portal pushed Progilius’ Egg back to Liga’s side of the portal. The giants then proceeded to chase off the clerics and set up a fair sized tent city with the obvious intent of re-opening trade with Liga. he provided Wilfred with enough information for him to Teleport the group there, which he proceeded to do after setting his people to tracking down the ley lines that would identify the sites where the Third Mark rituals would have to be performed.

Arriving the following morning, they caught their first sight of the giants, who called themselves Huchard and a glimpse of their capital city of Sharu’mosna through the 60’ stone arch that stood open at the center of the valley. Overhead, an unusual flying ship floated perhaps 150’ overhead.

Passing through the gate, the party found that Sharu’mosna took a little getting used to. The air, while rich with strange scents, lacked much of the “stink” most cities held. While most giants were 7’-9’ in height, some were much taller, reaching as much as 14’ in height, and generally seemed more experienced and/or skilled. They also took note of the sibbecai, a race of humanoids with the heads of greyhounds or perhaps weimaraners, who shared the city with the giants and were deferential to them.

Soon after they paused on a street corner to get their bearings, a young giant (5’ or so) named Timor came up to them and offered to be their guide. He found them an inn where they dropped off their belongings, and when asked where their histories were kept, he led them to the Imperial University. He then asked them when they wished him to return, and made arrangements to meet them then.

Once inside the University, they were led by one of the students there to the libraries, where it took several hours to locate what they felt was the name they sought: Dhaeros, known as the Arcanoth. Said to have been crafted by Boccob himself, he refused to take sides in the War of the Host, and was cursed to be one of the Forgotten when the war ended.

The following day the group returned to the University to do some research on the spell-weavers, whom the giants knew as the jenoine. Not much information was available, though the mural in the room where the records were kept was of some interest. It depicted the signing of a treaty between the giants and the dragons in ages past, and served to illustrate the races that dwelt upon the surface of Celene. The giants and the dragons had their representatives of course, as did the humans, faen (a halfling-like folk), verrik (very human, but with skin the color of red wine), harrids (vulture-like humanoids), sibbecai, litorans (a variety of catfolk), graf (elf-like, but with four arms) and a lone jenoine, standing apart from all the others. When the student who was helping them overheard that they had visited the spell-weaver node when the moon was in it’s “dead phase”, he summoned the Archivist, Saldean.

Saldean had many questions about the moon before it’s arrival in the “present”, as well as their exploration of the node. His attention was eventually diverted by Squizzles, when he asked where his “master” was, and launched into a discussion about the origin (from his POV) of kobolds, and the nature of the mojh and the dracha, two races that the dragons made from humans. The mojh tended to be the scholarly, arcane casters, whereas the dracha were winged and often took roles as warriors. It was in the midst of these discussions that we broke for the evening…

The group engaged the cloud giant, with Elerra creating a Passwall between the two halves of the library to facilitate movement. As the fight progressed, more giants and some ethereals joined the fray. Meroln was repeatedly battered throughout the fight, being knocked unconscious twice, and killed once, but brought back by Baht-Ole via a timely Breath of Life spell. Once the cloud giant magus fell, the two fire giant clerics accounted themselves well, nearly ending Squizzles and Sam at various times.

Keldeacon, whose poor luck with the Deck of Many Things had earned him the enmity of an powerful outsider got to meet said outsider, a deadly Gharros demon. Arriving on the third round of combat, it maneuvered him into the back of the southern library and kept him isolated while it’s poison slowly ate away at his CON. Even though Wilfred and Mekkatorque arrived and Wilfred Teleported Keldeacon to safety in the northern wing of the library, the demon soon located him again and resumed it’s assault. In the end, it defeated him, drew out his soul and returned to the Abyss with it.

Eventually, only one giant remained, a cloud giant wizard. He surrendered to the party, and agreed to lead them to the Esoterica Ebonwand. Plucking a huge scroll from one of the shelves, he unraveled it upon the floor, revealing a set of stairs leading downwards. Once in the cavern below, the party severed the chain that bound the book to it’s lectern, and then Teleported themselves away to Greyhawk.

As we ended for the evening, the group (and Keldeacon’s corpse) were standing on the steps of the Grey College as midnight was stuck by the bells…

One final item that they found was a deck of cards, a Deck of Many Things, a powerful artifact in and of itself. Sam, Squizzles, Keldeacon, Meroln and Elerra chose to draw from the deck. Sam was rewarded with wishes three, Keldeacon was forced to fight a dread wraith (which he nearly lost his life to) and the emnity of a powerful outsider. Squizzles lost wealth and property, while Meroln was rewarded with wealth. In the end, Elerra, at the last moment, decided not to draw from the deck, which then vanished.

Three days later, on returning to Greyhawk, the group concentrated on locating a copy of the Esoterica Ebonwand, but did not completely ignore the other clues they had gained. Squizzles informed them that the first name on their list, Sindar Sirion, was the apprentice to the Mage of the Valley, his homeland. He also identified him as one of the members of the infamous Ring of Five, a group of mages said to have set themselves in opposition to Mordenkainen’s Circle of Eight. He further identified Zagig Yagreen, former mayor of the city (and possibly the demi-god Zagyg), and the mages Tuerney, Leomund, and Serten as fellow members of this band. Their primary lair, he added, was somewhere in the depths of the ruins of Castle Greyhawk.

While most of the sages and other instructors of the could not identify the seal on the coded letter, one felt that it appeared similar to those in use in and around the Celestial Sea. It was further learned that complicated spell-craft guarded the message, an unusual weaving of both abjuration and reversed-divination magic.

So far as the list was concerned, aside from Sindar, the only other name that was readily recognized was that of Losien. The entire list was as follows: Sindar Sirion, Tierella Yendil, Esmerelda Nareda, Arthgan Katal, Losien, Yakato Kafar, and Dree of Ixworth.

After two days of searching old records, the Grey College could only provide the information that the Ebonwands were a magical society founded in the days of the old Suloise Empire. Of the inheritors of that empire, the barbarians of the north were unlikely to possess such knowledge. the Sunelan’s might, as might the the Scarlet Brotherhood. but nobody knew for certain, and it was unlikely that if they did, they would be willing to share any copies of the Esoterica they might have. Baht-Ole pointed out that the cloud giant wizard had obviously had access to a copy, so perhaps there was one wherever he had come from.

At the party’s request, he cast a Divination, and was awarded with a vision of a vast cloud castle somewhere over the Barrier Peaks, near the giant-occupied lands of Tsalf. It was decided the group would travel there by air and attempt to retrieve the tome.

It took nearly 2 weeks to travel there, and on the 14th of Patchwall, a full day before their arrival, they were witness to an amazing sight. Celene, the aquamarine moon, transformed itself over a period of minutes to a cloudy-living moon once more. At about this time, the effect making Teleportation magic unstable was also lifted.

Once they arrived in the vicinity of Castle Thunderhead, Wilfred and Mekkatorque scouted the castle. It sat on a piece of solidified cloud almost 4 square miles in size, with the castle itself stretching to fill nearly all the available space. Two large landing platforms could be seen, with a massive mist dragon lounging on the southern platform, and what Wilfred recognized as an Ethereal transport ring. As he watched, a number of slaves were led out and taken through the ring, to parts unknown.

Another Divination was cast, revealing that the tome they sought was (and was not) in the north-eastern tower. So the group, clumped together under an Invisibility Sphere landed on the tower and took out the two guards stationed there. One Passwall later, they were on the top floor of the tower, in a hallway that led to a pair of doors. one of which, when opened, revealed a particularly dangerous looking cloud giant wielding a greatsword that was perhaps a bit too large for his frame…

The party quickly moved into position at the crater, and their allies took on the cultists surrounding the area.

They quickly targeted the nalfeshnee demon that stood with the giants, but it was the cloud giant wizard, Zarathfal, who was first to summon additional allies, in the form of a trio of xeg-yi (negative energy elementals). Soon enough, the nalfeshnee did manage to gate in a trio of nerizo demons before falling to the blades of Meroln and Sam.

Though it took some time, eventually the remaining demons, elementals, and finally the two giants fell before the blades of the party, though it cost them nearly all their strength. With the giants defeated and their part of the larger ritual undone, the “Putrification” of the Second Mark was severely hampered.

Among the effects of the two giants, several documents were recovered, one naming a grimoire in which the ritual was spelled out in detail (Esoterica Ebonwand), a second appeared to be a coded letter bearing an unknown seal of some sort, and the third a list of seven names…

When the party finally finished off the Brotherhood‘s hobgoblin soldiers, the small Mabelrodian leapt to Kitiana’s side ululating a war cry. Meanwhile, overhead, meteors could be seen streaming across the sky, heralding who knows what. As the party poured incredible amounts of damage into their opponent, it was quickly plain to see that there was no sure way to harm it, indeed, when one of Meroln’s critical hits should have sickened it, it seemed instead to be bolstered by the effect.

Elerra offered a quick prayer (and a Hero Point) to Ellistrae for guidance, and learned that the best way to harm to miniature swordsman was to heal him – their opponent was a Nilbog! Once armed with this information, the party quickly turned the tide in their battle, collected Kitiana and her friend, the elven bard Elissa, and used Galen’s portal to his estate on the planet Earth.

The group found Galen’s estates quite impressive; acres upon acres of green lawn, copses of trees, and high hedges. As they emerged onto the back lawn of the estate, they finally met Galen “face to face”, as even though he still wore an elaborate suit of fine clothes (black with gold trim), he no longer wore his helm. He explained to the group that it would be a few days until the spheres were once again aligned to send them home, but until then he offered them his hospitality and his mansion.

Over the next three days Galen feasted the party well, and they were privileged to see the beginnings of his romance with Kitiana. He met with the group several times, discussing what he knew of the upcoming Second Mark, and advising them on a way that he felt they might be able to at least partially foil the Second Mark when it came to pass on the 4th of Brewfest. He explained that while there would be dozens of groups, across all three worlds, working to “unmake the weave of magic”, he also explained that their efforts would result in the crafting of a new weave, an “exclusive” weave, that only they and their followers would have access to.

He provided the party with a map to an island in the Celestial Sea, where he said that a coterie of cultists, led by a cloud giant wizard named Zarathfal, his assistant, a fire giant cleric of Zaaman Rul named Roshfadel, and a nalfeshnee demon known only as Qas, These, along with their followers, nearly 40 strong, would be leading a ritual to empower the Putrification. Disrupting their efforts would result in a distinct lessening of the effects, not merely on Liga, but on all three worlds of Chornalth. Spell-blights would still be a danger, and would pose a significant problem on the island itself, but if successful, it would be a vast improvement (5% chance on spell-casting instead of 25%).

On the night before they were due to depart, Galen confided to Meroln over cognac that these were to be the final five years of his life; all too soon he would finally meet his end, dying in an attempt to prevent Ka’antos and his fellow Mabelrodians from seizing Kitiana once more, as they made their move to use the capsule the party chose not to retrieve to travel backwards in time on the night of the Second Mark. He further explained that there would only be two more occasions when he would be able to remember the group, and after that he would always be an earlier self.

The following morning Galen led the group out to the center of the hedge maze that dominated his back yard, and once at it’s center hesent the group (and Elissa) back to the outskirts of Greyhawk City on Liga. Baht-Ole left the party to report to his superiors, reconnecting with the party the following morning to announce that his superiors at the Temple of Boccob would be providing them with a spelljammer and troops to help deal with the legion of cultists present at the site.

Wilfred’s contacts at the Grey College revealed that the island lay off the southern coast of the nation of Behow, in the province of Nahar, which was leased from the Vanarans by the nearby nation of Astariim. The isle is known to be desolate, thought to be haunted. Perhaps 10 miles long and five miles wide, the island of Khemshuu contains no plants or animals, no life of any kind. It’s only redeeming feature is a deep crater, said to have been created by a falling star some 5 millennia past, in which sits massive stone plinth.

The party spent the next two weeks shopping and leveling, and as we parted for the evening, the party had finally landed on the island, and were overlooking the bowl of the crater, a small army at their backs, all the better to counter the army that lay before them…

While Sam met with Tenser, Elerra went to the Grey College to petition them for an apprentice. Her desires were answered in the form of a male tibbet named Lseral Flamefur. After briefly getting acquainted, she and Lseral Teleported to Narwell, where she introduced him to the Baron, and told him to journey to the site of the castle they were constructing and oversee the operation. She then returned to Greyhawk alone.

The following day the party set out for Port Toli, a city in the Occupied Hold of the Sea Princes. None of them ever having visited the area, they were forced to fly overland through various means. Thanks to fortuitous tail-winds, they arrived at Port Toli only a day after Kitiana did.

It was quickly obvious to most of the party that the local populace was well and truly cowed, and that some of the “beggars” who lined the street were actually plants set there to spy on the populace. Squads of hobgoblins armed with naginatas made frequent patrols of the streets, and any human with blonde hair was shown deference, lest they be members of the Brotherhood. They quickly identified the intersection of streets where the ambush was supposed to happen, but it took some doing to find am inn that would agree to host such a large number of non-humans.

The next day, after some discussion, Sam and Keldeacon set out to attend the funeral. On their way to the funeral, they spotted a small humanoid (best guess was maybe a gnome) that obviously worshiped Mabelrode ambling in their direction. As it passed, it seemed to look in their direction and shrug. Once at the funeral, which was taking place outside, the two quickly spotted Kitiana from Galen’s description, as well as a female elven bard who obviously accompanied her.

While they stood on the outskirts of the procession, Sam soon noticed a woman who looked familiar, and approached her. As it turned out, it was Sister Anneh, the Abbess of Osprem, a woman he’d not seen in three or more years. He did not show her his true face, and she did not seem to recognize him, but the story she told of how she’d come to Port Toli did not hang together well, as she alternately claimed to have been there for 10 years (since the invasion) or 4 years, when she claimed Seabreeze fell into the sea. He eventually left her to follow the mourners out of the graveyard.

On the morning of the 14th, the party scouted out what they hoped was the best position to foil the ambush that Galen had said would happen around noon. On queue, as Kitiana and her companion made their way towards the docks, a patrol of hobgoblins could be seen quick-marching towards the square, where an Invisible mage of some sort floated over the heads of the populace. As the hobgoblins drew into striking distance, Elerra threw Glitterdust at the mage, then stepped back from the edge of the roof.

The mage, who proved to be a warlock, proceeded to pummel Wilfred with his Eldritch Blast twice, criting with the second one, which caused Wilfred to sit tight and wait for healing. Elerra’s position proved to be less safe than she’d hoped, as she had almost walked right into the Brotherhood ninja who’d been lurking there.

Meroln flew down to the street to defend Kitiana, who was under assault by a combination of hobgoblins, monks, and a warpriest who had come out of buildings along the street. When he could finally enter the fray, Wilfred and Mekkatorque made short work of the warlock, but their old position on the roof was quickly filled by a monk who attacked Baht-Ole.

As we ended the evening, most of the heavy hitters on the Brotherhood’s side were down, and Kitiana and her friend were still surrounded by hobgoblins despite repeated AoE spells from Elerra and Keldeacon. Meanwhile, down one of the side streets, the small Mabelrodian watched the fight, puffing on a pipe…

With the lich unreachable, the party spent several round polishing off the remaining skeletons and constructs, often by hurling them against the Prismatic Sphere to watch what happened. When the spellweaver finally reappeared (having spent it’s time refreshing itself and using a hidden stairway to come out behind the group) most of the group expended their prepared actions blasting it with everything they had, but it still managed to get off a pair of simultaneous Maximized Mythic Fireballs (one of which was also Enhanced) that slew Alexia outright, knocked Meroln unconscious, and left everyone generally singed (except for Sam, yay Evasion). Before he could do this again, the party managed to bring him down.

The group then dislodged the piece they had come for from the apparatus that dominated the room, and Squizzles used his Create Treasure Map on the spellweaver’s corpse to locate it’s phylactery and other treasures. Once the phylactery was destroyed, and the node thoroughly looted, the group made their way outside, signaled the Fury II for pickup, and made their way back to Liga and Greyhawk City unopposed.

Before meeting with Galen, the group took Alexia to the Temple of Murlynd to have her restored to life. Once she recovered her strength, she announced that for reasons of conscience, she could no longer be a part of the group. Elerra accompanied her back to Narwell to work out the now complicated provisions for the castle the party was having built, but was assured that Alexia’s pulling out on the arrangements would have no effect on the construction. The two then returned to Greyhawk for their meeting with Galen.

As always, Galen paid them what they were due, and gave no indication that Alexia’s departure was any surprise to him. He then laid out what he hoped would be their next mission, namely the “recovery” of the Clockwork “egg” that had crashed and disgorged Progilius Oransiir, the fabled self-aware clockwork man rumored to have died in a spectacular fashion in Blackmoor the previous winter. However, the fact that the Priests of Celestian were unlikely to allow them to “borrow” the capsule even after cleaning out the infestation of golems and elementals rumored to have taken over the catacombs beneath their temple, and despite Galen’s assurances that possessing the capsule was instrumental to blunting the effects of the coming Second Mark, most of the group was adverse to the theft of this artifact. Finally admitting that he had a second team that could handle this chore, he outlined his final task for the group.

He explained that on the 14th of Harvester, a close friend of his, one Kitiana of Beregond, a Cleric of Mystra, would come into danger of capture by the Scarlet Brotherhood. He went on to explain that she would soon be bearing the remains of another companion of hers to his family in the town of Port Toli, in the Lordship of the Isles, He went on to explain that she would arrive in Toli on the 10th of Harvester, and that she would come under scrutiny at his funeral on the 12th. By the 14th, a squad of Brotherhood monks and assassins would be dispatched to kidnap her, and that could not be allowed to happen.

He explained that the Brotherhood, or a rogue element within the Brotherhood, was working with those who were striving to bring about the Wane, and that Kitiana’s capture would only aid them in their plans. Instead, he wished for the party to intervene and whisk her through a planar gate that he would provide that would deliver her safely to the alternate Prime Material Plane where he himself had been born, to his very estates, in fact. Once there, he would return the party to Liga.

As we broke for the evening, the party began going their separate ways, selling loot, and either crafting gear or contracting to have gear made for themselves. Sam departed for the town of Magepoint, seeking to speak to Tenser about having a spell cast upon himself, so that he might correct what he now considered poor choices in the past. The night before, however, he had another dream…